Trace political developments in Missouri from the high point of Republican control to the point of party equity in 1976.

In Missouri as well as the rest of the United States, the “two-party” system was strongly in place throughout the 20th century. Democrats and Republicans have clashed in political contests throughout the state and nation, either closely-matched or with one party occasionally securing a short-term advantage over the other. Indeed, Missouri has not had a U.S. Senator, Representative, or Governor who was not either a Republican or Democrat since before World War II. After World War II the Republican party dominated state politics for a short time, followed by a long period of Democratic rule, and the state returned to equilibrium by the time the U.S. bicentennial came.

The election of 1944 gave Republicans a slight edge in Missouri politics, with the GOP taking the State Senate and a seat in the U.S. Senate. Though the Democrats picked up seats, it retained a majority in the Missouri House of Representatives. The 1944 election was a preview of the 1946 election, which would see substantial gains by Republicans (in the U.S. as well as Missouri). Missourians expressed dissatisfaction with the Democrats who had been in power through World War II (including President Harry Truman, who was from Missouri): Republicans would gain control both of Missouri's U.S. Senate seats - Forrest Donnell and Frank Briggs were the first Republicans to do that since shortly after the Civil War. On the state level Republicans did well also, adding to or keeping margins in the state House and Senate.

Republicans were able to take these victories partially by attracting African-American voters, who had previously tended to vote Democratic. Seeing the Democratic incumbents' lackluster support for minorities during the Great Depression and World War II, many black voters turned to the GOP. Predominantly African American areas elected Republicans into power, especially in urban areas – Republican Aloys Kaufmann was elected mayor of St. Louis, for example. Democrats were able to take back much of the “black vote” in subsequent elections, however. President Harry Truman did much for early the early Civil Rights movement, decreeing that federal and military employment opportunities stop race-based discrimination through executive orders. These and other actions by Truman and his party helped return many black voters to the Democratic party.  In 1960 and 1968, two African-Americans were elected as Missouri representatives as Democrats: Theodore McNeal to the State Senate, and William Clay to the U.S. House. Desegregation of public schools became an important issue for African Americans following the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954, which forbid the practice.

The “high tide of Missouri Republicanism” quickly rolled out – in 1948's election, Democrats re-gained power. Largely aided by campaigning by Harry Truman, who spoke at length against Republicans, he got farmers, minorities, and other special interest groups to support his party.  The Republican party was too cocky in both the state and nation – Thomas Dewey was infamously thought to be a shoo-in for the Presidency, and Forrest Smith was thought to be doomed in the race for Missouri Governor. Despite allegations of corruption against Smith by newspapers and his opponent (Murray Thompson), voters re-elected Truman for President and Smith for Governor by wide margin.

The Democratic dominance established in 1948 would not fully subside until the end of the 20th century, and between 1948 and 1968, no Republican won an election for a statewide office. That 20 year period was a time of Democratic strength in almost every aspect – although Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon carried Missouri in their Presidential races (in '52 and '68/'72, respectively), Missourians elected Democrats in every other race for President, Governor, and U.S. Senator. The actions of influential Missouri Democrats like Harry Truman and Stuart Symington guaranteed long-term success for their party, as did the support of black voters throughout the Civil Right movement of the early 1960's. Women voters also tended to vote Democratic. Indeed, all but three of the women elected to Missouri's General Assembly were Democrats. Organized feminism propelled women like Mary Gant to the State Senate and Leonor Sullivan to the U.S. House of Representatives, and dozens of women were elected to Missouri political office between 1946 and 1976.

It took until 1968 for a Republican to win a state office – John Danforth was elected attorney general that year. Although he lost to Stuart Symington in a race for a U.S. Senate seat in 1970, Christopher “Kit” Bond helped bring Reublicans back from obscurity by winning the race for auditor in 1968. Capitalizing on Democratic mistakes in the national scene and by appealing to young voters, Republicans got Bond and Jack Scramm elected to Governor and Lieutenant Governor, respectively in 1972. That year, Republicans also took the attorney general post, though Democrats won state offices and held their majorities in the representative bodies. Democrats held on again in 1974, holding back Republican challengers.

Although Democrats still held a strong position in the state representative bodies, the two parties found themselves more evenly matched in Missouri starting in 1976, as Republicans chipped away at their majority. Colorful Democratic candidate “Walking” Joe Teasdale beat Bond in the race for Governor, choosing campaign issues more near to voters' hearts. However, Republican John Ashcroft, who would later rise to national prominence, won Missouri's attorney general post that.

Throughout its history, Missouri has been a microcosm of the nation. The two-party struggle that played out on the national level also played out in Missouri, and the same issues affecting post-war Americans, minorities and women, farmers, and others affected Missourians. 1946 to 1976 illustrated politics in Missouri, and the pattern of two-part cycles of equilibrium and dominance has continued to the present day.

1. Nonpartisan Court Plan
   The nonpartisan court plan was instituted in Missouri after voters approved it in 1942, and was written into the Missouri Constitution of 1945. Under the plan, judges undergo a “trial period”: a “nonpartisan” committee selects three candidates for vacant positions. The governor then chooses one of these candidates to serve for at least a year. After the year is up, the judge’s name goes on the ballot (with no party affiliation) at the next general election, and voters can decide whether to keep him or her on (for a 12 year term). The plan was designed to keep political parties from “stacking the courts.”
2. Little Hoover Commission
   The “Hoover Commission” was a wide-reaching effort to reorganize the federal government (headed by Herbert Hoover). The “Little Hoover Commission” attempted to do the same thing for Missouri’s state government. Designed to simplify the various functions state government agencies provided, it focused on creating departments and coordinating planning efforts. Largely a success, it increased efficiency and earned money for the state. The Commission on Higher Education was a result of the Little Hoover Commission.
3. Omnibus State Reorganization Act of 1974
   The Omnibus State Reorganization Act of 1974 was another effort aimed at organizing the state government’s functions. Under it, government activities were coordinated by 13 departments and one administrative office. The departments’ names reflected their goals: Social Services included divisions that dealt with family services, health, and aging; Elementary and Secondary Education and Higher Education dealt with K-12 level and college level schooling, respectively; Natural Resources dealt with the environment; and Consumer Affairs, Regulation and Licensing, Labor and Industrial Relations, Public Safety, Revenue, Agriculture, Conservation, Highways, and Transportation all fulfilled various functions. 
4. Theodore McNeal
   Theodore McNeal was a prominent African-American leader in Missouri. Before entering politics, he was an official at the large American Federation of Labor union. He became the first African-American to be elected to the Missouri Senate in 1960. He served two terms, and then-Governor Hearnes selected him to sit on the University of Missouri’s Board of Curators in 1970. Later he was appointed head of the St. Louis Police Board of Commissioners, and was the first African-American to ever hold that position.
5. Population developments, 1940 – 1970
   The period from 1940-1970 saw Missouri’s population grow, but at a slower rate than the rest of the nation. In 1940, Missourians were 2.9% of the U.S. population; by 1970 they accounted for 2.3%. The period also saw a dramatic shift of Missouri’s population from rural areas (with fewer than 2,500 people) to urban areas (with more than 2,500 people): in 1940 almost 52% of Missourians lived in urban areas, in 1950 over 61% did, and by 1970 reached over 70%.
6. William Clay
   William Clay was Missouri’s first African-American congressman in the House of Representatives. Before being elected, he was prominent in the state Democratic party. During his term, he helped start the Congressional Black Caucus for African-American representatives, and he represented his St. Louis constituents’ interests. His son succeeded him in 2000.
7. Leonor K. Sullivan
   Leonor K. Sullivan was the first female representative in the U.S. Congress from Missouri. The wife of Representative John B. Sullivan, she worked closely with him during his political career. When he died in 1951, voters elected her to his seat. There was not another female representative from Missouri until 1990.
8. The rise of soybeans
   Soybeans became the cash crop most produced in Missouri in 1968, displacing corn by 700,000 acres. Between the 1940’s and 1970’s soybean production increased drastically, going from 1 million to over 144 million bushels as new uses for soybeans were exploited commercially.  Soybeans are grown throughout the state (except for in the Ozark highlands), and along with corn, cotton, and hay, account for the bulk of Missouri’s grain exports. 
9. James S. McDonnell
   James S. McDonnell was the founder of McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. It was founded as a small company in 1939, and expanded quickly during World War II, during which it time it built planes for the war. In 1962, it became the largest private employer in Missouri. In addition to producing airplanes, it designed and produced space travel vehicles and capsules before being acquired by Boeing in 1995.
10. James Blair
    James T. Blair was Governor of Missouri from 1957 to 1961. A Democratic reformer whose ideas were often aimed at increasing government efficiency, he endorsed several reform measures. During his administration, the Division of Budget and Comptroller was put under his (the Governor’s) direct supervision.  He also favored allowing governors to succeed themselves in office, though this change was not made until after his term.